Planar Speaker Asylum: REVIEW: Magnepan Magneplanar MG20 Speakers by Green Lantern

Model:	Magneplanar MG20
Category:	Speakers
Suggested Retail Price:	$9800
Description:	Planar Magnetic Loudspeaker. Manufacturer's Flagship Model.
Manufacturer URL:	Magnepan
Model Picture:	View

Review by Green Lantern on January 05, 2014 at 19:36:16
IP Address: 72.220.145.238 Add Your Review
for the Magneplanar MG20

Well what can I say; I started with a pair of Magnepan MG1.6s back in 2001 and never looked back. A divorce in 2010 forced me to part with them but I vowed one day to own another. I had heard a pair of MG20.1s a few years back at a local dealer here in San Diego and within seconds I knew I was hearing something special. "Maggie magic" taken to a whole another level if you will. But at $13-$14,000 I knew there was no way I'd ever own a pair. So when a pair of MG20s (predecessor to the 20.1) came up for sale ($2700) locally I pounced on em'. And although it was missing the external XOs (I opted for a Marchand XM44 ext XO because well, Magnepan doesn't sell there's anymore:)

Setup: these panels vs it's MG1.6 sibling is significantly different. Each panel is approx 80" tall,26" wide and about 2" thick. A lot of folks like to identify them as 'room dividers' but in reality they're more similar to a average bedroom door. But at 100lbs each this is were all similarities end. They're equipped with handle/knobs on the rear to aid in positioning but I find those to be awkward if other than positioning for toe-in. Lifting and moving each panel is a two person task but with the right grip and strong back, one person can make do. Myself, being paranoid of accidently 'kneeing' a panel whilst moving them, came up with a dolly of sorts (link 1 below) for easy moving/positioning. This proved to be a valuable assesment in finding the 'right spot'.

I currently bi-amp each panel with a Emotiva XPA-1 mono blocks; 1,000 watts @ 4 ohm on the bass/mid panel and a pair of Bel Canto M300 mono blocks on the tweeters

Magnepans being a dipole speaker, can have an uncanning ability to render an almost life-like soundstage. Of course room size, positioning and room treatments (if needed) help to achieve this effect; or at least approach it. Easy for the smaller Maggies to accomplish due to their physical size, not so easy for the bigger panels obviously. My room is a dedicated 17' x 17' box shape with a sloping ceiling; far from ideal for ANY speaker, much less Maggies. In any event I currently have them positioned approx 6' from the front wall and 4' from the side walls; leaving about a 9' space between them. And what happens between the gap can best be described as nothing less than incredible. Even with my 'modest' equipment (far from high-end) you can tell these are special speakers. What sets them apart from it's younger siblings is of course it's size but most importantly the true ribbon tweeter. It also incorporates Magnepan's 'push-pull' technology with magnets that 'sandwich' the mylar diaphram vs the magnets on one side. This turns out to be a blessing in sound reproduction which was said to improve dynamics along with Stat-like speed. On the other hand; if there was ever a need for repair, it would most assuredly be a guaranteed trip back to the factory since bass/mid panels are rivoted together, vs other Maggies which are DIY friendly and easlily assessable. The true ribbon tweeter for the most part is also a non-DIY task although a bit more assessable and easier to ship back to the factory.

Back to the sound- what makes a great speaker/system IMO is it's abiltiy to perform with little or no fatigue. As I write this review I've logged over 6 hours of listening. I estimate running out of music before I run out of interest! Again, Maggies being dipole radiate sound from front and rear creating a 3D image which often makes these huge panels seemingly disappear in the room. Vocals are dead center with life-like reproduction. Instruments never appear strained or overworked. Tapped cymbals hover and sizzle high in mid-air (as you'd expect) and as if you can reach out and touch them. Trumpets can test any speaker's design due to it's wide range, the Maggies handle them with no problem. Listening to Hootie and the Blowfish's rendition of Bill Wither's classic 'Use me' opens with bongos located left and behind the left panel, almost 1/3rd of the way back towards the front wall. Bass is ample indeed, and often (depending on the source recording) can be overbearing (again, room treatments are in order); NOT something you'd hear everyday regarding Maggies though!
Darrius Rucker's vocals along with the drums are dead center with acoustic guitar on the right, electric guitar on the left. On 'only lonely' (Hotties greates hits) the 20s marry Ruckers upper and mid range vocals without a hint of seperation, a true attribute to the true ribbon tweeter.

Summary- if you cannot afford the 20.1 or current flagship 20.7s you owe it to yourself to give these a try. Granted, the MG20s are no Spring chickens and after a significant amount of time you may have to handle delam issues (no different than older cone speakers which dry-rot, there are risk all around).

Please excuse any technical errors as it was getting late and my eyes get fatigued waaay sooner than my ears!; but if so- I apologize in advance-

link 1.
Maggie dolly

complete system as reviewed (Bel Canto's hidden out of view)

Product Weakness:	size, power hungry
Product Strengths:	sound stage, vocals, 'disappearing act'

Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: Emotiva XPA-1 mono blocks on bass-mids, Bel Canto M300 on tweeters
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Audible Illusions 3A
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Oppo 980H un-modified
Speakers: Magnepan MG20s
Cables/Interconnects: transparent
Music Used (Genre/Selections): jazz
Room Size (LxWxH): 17' x 17' x 8-12'
Room Comments/Treatments: much needed, essentially a 'bare room' with rung on wall!
Time Period/Length of Audition: 6 weeks
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner
Your System (if other than home audition):

Amplifier:	Emotiva XPA-1 mono blocks on bass-mids, Bel Canto M300 on tweeters
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Audible Illusions 3A
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Oppo 980H un-modified
Speakers:	Magnepan MG20s
Cables/Interconnects:	transparent
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	jazz
Room Size (LxWxH):	17' x 17' x 8-12'
Room Comments/Treatments:	much needed, essentially a 'bare room' with rung on wall!
Time Period/Length of Audition:	6 weeks
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner
Your System (if other than home audition):